Witnesses

About the story of 'Aisha and their narrations were similar attesting
each other, when the liars said what they invented about 'Aisha, and
the Divine Inspiration was delayed, Allah's Apostle sent for 'Ali and
Usama to consult them in divorcing his wife (i.e. 'Aisha). Usama said,
"Keep your wife, as we know nothing about her except good." Buraira
said, "I cannot accuse her of any defect except that she is still a
young girl who sleeps, neglecting her family's dough which the
domestic goats come to eat (i.e. she was too simpleminded to deceive
her husband)." Allah's Apostle said, "Who can help me to take revenge
over the man who has harmed me by defaming the reputation of my
family? By Allah, I have not known about my family-anything except
good, and they mentioned (i.e. accused) a man about whom I did not
know anything except good."

Allah's Apostle and Ubai bin Kab Al-Ansari went to the garden where
Ibn Saiyad used to live. When Allah's Apostle entered (the garden), he
(i.e. Allah's Apostle ) started hiding himself behind the datepalms as
he wanted to hear secretly the talk of Ibn Saiyad before the latter
saw him. Ibn Saiyad wrapped with a soft decorated sheet was lying on
his bed murmuring. Ibn Saiyad's mother saw the Prophet hiding behind
the stems of the date-palms. She addressed Ibn Saiyad saying, "O Saf,
this is Muhammad." Hearing that Ibn Saiyad stopped murmuring (or got
cautious), the Prophet said, "If she had left him undisturbed, he
would have revealed his reality." (See Hadith No. 290, Vol 4 for
details)

The wife of Rifa'a Al-Qurazi came to the Prophet and said, "I was
Rifa'a's wife, but he divorced me and it was a final irrevocable
divorce. Then I married AbdurRahman bin Az-Zubair but he is impotent."
The Prophet asked her 'Do you want to remarry Rifa'a? You cannot
unless you had a complete sexual relation with your present husband."
Abu Bakr was sitting with Allah's Apostle and Khalid bin Said bin
Al-'As was at the door waiting to be admitted. He said, "O Abu Bakr!
Do you hear what this (woman) is revealing frankly before the Prophet
?"

Uqba married the daughter of Abu Ihab bin Aziz, and then a woman came
and said, "I suckled 'Uqba and his wife." 'Uqba said to her, "I do not
know that you have suckled me, and you did not inform me." He then
sent someone to the house of Abu Ihab to enquire about that but they
did not know that she had suckled their daughter. Then 'Uqba went to
the Prophet in Medina and asked him about it. The Prophet said to him,
"How (can you keep your wife) after it has been said (that both of you
were suckled by the same woman)?" So, he divorced her and she was
married to another (husband).

People were (sometimes) judged by the revealing of a Divine
Inspiration during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle but now there is no
longer any more (new revelation). Now we judge you by the deeds you
practice publicly, so we will trust and favor the one who does good
deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what
he is really doing in secret, for Allah will judge him for that; but
we will not trust or believe the one who presents to us with an evil
deed even if he claims that his intentions were good.

A funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet and the people
praised the deceased. The Prophet said, "It has been affirmed
(Paradise)." Then another funeral procession passed by and the people
talked badly of the deceased. The Prophet said, "It has been affirmed
(Hell)." Allah's Apostle was asked, "O Allah's Apostle! You said it
has been affirmed for both?" The Prophet said, "The testimony of the
people (is accepted), (for) the believer are Allah's witnesses on the
earth."

Once I went to Medina where there was an outbreak of disease and the
people were dying rapidly. I was sitting with 'Umar and a funeral
procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It
has been affirmed" (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed
by. The people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been
affirmed." (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The
people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed
(Paradise)." Then a third funeral procession passed by and the people
talked badly of the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed
(Hell)." I asked Umar, "O chief of the believers! What has been
affirmed?" He said, "I have said what the Prophet said. He said,
'Allah will admit into paradise any Muslim whose good character is
attested by four persons.' We asked the Prophet, 'If there were three
witnesses only?' He said, 'Even three.' We asked, 'If there were two
only?' He said, 'Even two.' But we did not ask him about one
witness."

Aflah asked the permission to visit me but I did not allow him. He
said, "Do you veil yourself before me although I am your uncle?"
'Aisha said, "How is that?" Aflah replied, "You were suckled by my
brother's wife with my brother's milk." I asked Allah's Apostle about
it, and he said, "Allah is right, so permit him to visit you."

That 'Aisha the wife of the Prophet told her uncle that once, while
the Prophet was in her house, she heard a man asking Hafsa's
permission to enter her house. 'Aisha said, "I said, 'O Allah's
Apostle! I think the man is Hafsa's foster uncle.' " 'Aisha added, "O
Allah's Apostle! There is a man asking the permission to enter your
house." Allah's Apostle replied, "I think the man is Hafsa's foster
uncle." 'Aisha said, "If so-and-so were living (i.e. her foster uncle)
would he be allowed to visit me?" Allah's Apostle said, "Yes, he
would, as the foster relations are treated like blood relations (in
marital affairs)."

Once the Prophet came to me while a man was in my house. He said, "O
'Aisha! Who is this (man)?" I replied, "My foster brothers" He said,
"O 'Aisha! Be sure about your foster brothers, as fostership is only
valid if it takes place in the suckling period (before two years of
age)."

A woman committed theft in the Ghazwa of the Conquest (of Mecca) and
she was taken to the Prophet who ordered her hand to be cut off.
'Aisha said, "Her repentance was perfect and she was married (later)
and used to come to me (after that) and I would present her needs to
Allah's Apostle."

My mother asked my father to present me a gift from his property; and
he gave it to me after some hesitation. My mother said that she would
not be satisfied unless the Prophet was made a witness to it. I being
a young boy, my father held me by the hand and took me to the Prophet
. He said to the Prophet, "His mother, bint Rawaha, requested me to
give this boy a gift." The Prophet said, "Do you have other sons
besides him?" He said, "Yes." The Prophet said, "Do not make me a
witness for injustice." Narrated Ash-Shabi that the Prophet said, "I
will not become a witness for injustice."

I heard Imran bin Husain saying, "The Prophet said, 'The best people
are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and
then those coming after (the second generation)." Imran said "I do not
know whether the Prophet mentioned two or three generations after your
present generation. The Prophet added, 'There will be some people
after you, who will be dishonest and will not be trustworthy and will
give witness (evidences) without being asked to give witness, and will
vow but will not fulfill their vows, and fatness will appear among
them."

The Prophet said, "The people of my generation are the best, then
those who follow them, and then whose who follow the latter. After
that there will come some people whose witness will go ahead of their
oaths, and their oaths will go ahead of their witness." Ibrahim (a
sub-narrator) said, "We used to be beaten for taking oaths by saying,
'I bear witness by the Name of Allah or by the Covenant of Allah."

The Prophet said thrice, "Should I inform you out the greatest of the
great sins?" They said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "To join
others in worship with Allah and to be undutiful to one's parents."
The Prophet then sat up after he had been reclining (on a pillow) and
said, "And I warn you against giving a false witness, and he kept on
saying that warning till we thought he would not stop. (See
Hadith No. 7, Vol. 8)

The Prophet heard a man (reciting Quran) in the Mosque, and he said,
"May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember
such-and such Verses of such-and-such Sura which I dropped (from my
memory).

Narrated Aisha: The Prophet performed the Tahajjud prayer in my house,
and then he heard the voice of 'Abbas who was praying in the Mosque,
and said, "O 'Aisha! Is this 'Abbad's voice?" I said, "Yes." He said,
"O Allah! Be merciful to 'Abbas!"

The Prophet said, "Bilal pronounces the Adhan when it is still night
(before dawn), so eat and drink till the next Adhan is pronounced (or
till you hear Ibn Um Maktum's Adhan)." Ibn Um Maktum was a blind man
who would not pronounce the Adhan till he was told that it was dawn.

Some outer garments were received the Prophet and my father (Makhrama)
said to me, "Let us go to the Prophet so that he may give us something
from the garments." So, my father stood at the door and spoke. The
Prophet recognized his voice and came out carrying a garment and
telling Makhrama the good qualities of that garment, adding, "I have
kept this for you, I have sent this for you."

That he had married Um Yahya bint Abu Ihab. He said. "A black
slave-lady came and said, 'I suckled you both.' I then mentioned that
to the Prophet who turned his face aside." Uqba further said, "I went
to the other side and told the Prophet about it. He said, 'How can you
(keep her as your wife) when the lady has said that she suckled both
of you (i.e. you and your wife?)" So, the Prophet ordered him to
divorce her.

I married a woman and later on a woman came and said, "I suckled you
both." So, I went to the Prophet (to ask him about it). He said, "How
can you (keep her as a wife) when it has been said (that you were
foster brother and sister)? Leave (divorce) her.

(the wife of the Prophet) "Whenever Allah's Apostle intended to go on
a journey, he would draw lots amongst his wives and would take with
him the one upon whom the lot fell. During a Ghazwa of his, he drew
lots amongst us and the lot fell upon me, and I proceeded with him
after Allah had decreed the use of the veil by women. I was carried in
a Howdah (on the camel) and dismounted while still in it. When Allah's
Apostle was through with his Ghazwa and returned home, and we
approached the city of Medina, Allah's Apostle ordered us to proceed
at night. When the order of setting off was given, I walked till I was
past the army to answer the call of nature. After finishing I returned
(to the camp) to depart (with the others) and suddenly realized that
my necklace over my chest was missing. So, I returned to look for it
and was delayed because of that. The people who used to carry me on
the camel, came to my Howdah and put it on the back of the camel,
thinking that I was in it, as, at that time, women were light in
weight, and thin and lean, and did not use to eat much. So, those
people did not feel the difference in the heaviness of the Howdah
while lifting it, and they put it over the camel. At that time I was a
young lady. They set the camel moving and proceeded on. I found my
necklace after the army had gone, and came to their camp to find
nobody. So, I went to the place where I used to stay, thinking that
they would discover my absence and come back in my search. While in
that state, I felt sleepy and slept.

Safwan bin Mu'attal As-Sulami Adh-Dhakwani was behind the army and
reached my abode in the morning. When he saw a sleeping person, he
came to me, and he used to see me before veiling. So, I got up when I
heard him saying, "Inna lil-lah-wa inn a ilaihi rajiun (We are for
Allah, and we will return to Him)." He made his camel knell down. He
got down from his camel, and put his leg on the front legs of the
camel and then I rode and sat over it. Safwan set out walking, leading
the camel by the rope till we reached the army who had halted to take
rest at midday. Then whoever was meant for destruction, fell into
destruction, (some people accused me falsely) and the leader of the
false accusers was 'Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul. After that we
returned to Medina, and I became ill for one month while the people
were spreading the forged statements of the false accusers. I was
feeling during my ailment as if I were not receiving the usual
kindness from the Prophet which I used to receive from him when I got
sick. But he would come, greet and say, 'How is that (girl)?' I did
not know anything of what was going on till I recovered from my
ailment and went out with Um Mistah to the Manasi where we used to
answer the call of nature, and we used not to go to answer the call of
nature except from night to night and that was before we had
lavatories near to our houses. And this habit of ours was similar to
the habit of the old 'Arabs in the open country (or away from houses).
So. I and Um Mistah bint Ruhm went out walking. Um Mistah stumbled
because of her long dress and on that she said, 'Let Mistah be
ruined.' I said, 'You are saying a bad word. Why are you abusing a man
who took part in (the battle of) Badr?' She said, 'O Hanata (you
there) didn't you hear what they said?' Then she told me the rumors of
the false accusers.

My sickness was aggravated, and when I returned home, Allah's Apostle
came to me, and after greeting he said, 'How is that (girl)?' I
requested him to allow me to go to my parents. I wanted then to be
sure of the news through them I Allah's Apostle allowed me, and I went
to my parents and asked my mother, 'What are the people talking
about?' She said, 'O my daughter! Don't worry much about this matter.
By Allah, never is there a charming woman loved by her husband who has
other wives, but the women would forge false news about her.' I said,
'Glorified be Allah! Are the people really taking of this matter?'
That night I kept on weeping and could not sleep till morning. In the
morning Allah's Apostle called Ali bin Abu Talib and Usama bin Zaid
when he saw the Divine Inspiration delayed, to consul them about
divorcing his wife (i.e. 'Aisha). Usama bin Zaid said what he knew of
the good reputation of his wives and added, 'O Allah's Apostle! Keep
you wife, for, by Allah, we know nothing about her but good.' 'Ali bin
Abu Talib said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Allah has no imposed restrictions
on you, and there are many women other than she, yet you may ask the
woman-servant who will tell you the truth.' On that Allah's Apostle
called Buraira and said, 'O Burair. Did you ever see anything which
roused your suspicions about her?' Buraira said, 'No, by Allah Who has
sent you with the Truth, I have never seen in her anything faulty
except that she is a girl of immature age, who sometimes sleeps and
leaves the dough for the goats to eat.' On that day Allah's Apostle
ascended the pulpit and requested that somebody support him in
punishing 'Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul. Allah's Apostle said, 'Who
will support me to punish that person ('Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul)
who has hurt me by slandering the reputation of my family? By Allah, I
know nothing about my family but good, and they have accused a person
about whom I know nothing except good, and he never entered my house
except in my company.'

Sad bin Mu'adh got up and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! by Allah, I will
relieve you from him. If that man is from the tribe of the Aus, then
we will chop his head off, and if he is from our brothers, the
Khazraj, then order us, and we will fulfill your order.' On that Sad
bin 'Ubada, the chief of the Khazraj and before this incident, he had
been a pious man, got up, motivated by his zeal for his tribe and
said, 'By Allah, you have told a lie; you cannot kill him, and you
will never be able to kill him.' On that Usaid bin Al-Hadir got up and
said (to Sad bin 'Ubada), 'By Allah! you are a liar. By Allah, we will
kill him; and you are a hypocrite, defending the hypocrites.' On this
the two tribes of Aus and Khazraj got excited and were about to fight
each other, while Allah's Apostle was standing on the pulpit. He got
down and quietened them till they became silent and he kept quiet. On
that day I kept on weeping so much so that neither did my tears stop,
nor could I sleep.

In the morning my parents were with me and I had wept for two nights
and a day, till I thought my liver would burst from weeping. While
they were sitting with me and I was weeping, an Ansari woman asked my
permission to enter, and I allowed her to come in. She sat down and
started weeping with me. While we were in this state, Allah's Apostle
came and sat down and he had never sat with me since the day they
forged the accusation. No revelation regarding my case came to him for
a month. He recited Tashah-hud (i.e. None has the right to be
worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is His Apostle) and then said, 'O
'Aisha! I have been informed such-and-such about you; if you are
innocent, then Allah will soon reveal your innocence, and if you have
committed a sin, then repent to Allah and ask Him to forgive you, for
when a person confesses his sin and asks Allah for forgiveness, Allah
accepts his repentance.' When Allah's Apostle finished his speech my
tears ceased completely and there remained not even a single drop of
it. I requested my father to reply to Allah's Apostle on my behalf. My
father said, By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Apostle.'
I said to my mother, 'Talk to Allah's Apostle on my behalf.' She said,
'By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Apostle.

I was a young girl and did not have much knowledge of the Quran. I
said. 'I know, by Allah, that you have listened to what people are
saying and that has been planted in your minds and you have taken it
as a truth. Now, if I told you that I am innocent and Allah knows that
I am innocent, you would not believe me and if I confessed to you
falsely that I am guilty, and Allah knows that I am innocent you would
believe me. By Allah, I don't compare my situation with you except to
the situation of Joseph's father (i.e. Jacob) who said, 'So (for me)
patience is most fitting against that which you assert and it is Allah
(Alone) whose help can be sought.' Then I turned to the other side of
my bed hoping that Allah would prove my innocence. By Allah I never
thought that Allah would reveal Divine Inspiration in my case, as I
considered myself too inferior to be talked of in the Holy Qur'an. I
had hoped that Allah's Apostle might have a dream in which Allah would
prove my innocence. By Allah, Allah's Apostle had not got up and
nobody had left the house before the Divine Inspiration came to
Allah's Apostle. So, there overtook him the same state which used to
overtake him, (when he used to have, on being inspired divinely). He
was sweating so much so that the drops of the sweat were dropping like
pearls though it was a (cold) wintry day. When that state of Allah's
Apostle was over, he was smiling and the first word he said, 'Aisha!
Thank Allah, for Allah has declared your innocence.' My mother told me
to go to Allah's Apostle . I replied, 'By Allah I will not go to him
and will not thank but Allah.' So Allah revealed: "Verily! They who
spread the slander are a gang among you . . ." (24.11)

When Allah gave the declaration of my Innocence, Abu Bakr, who used to
provide for Mistah bin Uthatha for he was his relative, said, 'By
Allah, I will never provide Mistah with anything because of what he
said about Aisha.' But Allah later revealed: --

"And let not those who are good and wealthy among you swear not to
help their kinsmen, those in need and those who left their homes in
Allah's Cause. Let them forgive and overlook. Do you not wish that
Allah should forgive you? Verily! Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most
Merciful." (24.22) After that Abu Bakr said, 'Yes ! By Allah! I like
that Allah should forgive me,' and resumed helping Mistah whom he used
to help before.

Allah's Apostle also asked Zainab bint Jahsh (i.e. the Prophet's wife
about me saying, 'What do you know and what did you see?' She replied,
'O Allah's Apostle! I refrain to claim hearing or seeing what I have
not heard or seen. By Allah, I know nothing except goodness about
Aisha." Aisha further added "Zainab was competing with me (in her
beauty and the Prophet's love), yet Allah protected her (from being
malicious), for she had piety."

A man praised another man in front of the Prophet . The Prophet said
to him, "Woe to you, you have cut off your companion's neck, you have
cut off your companion's neck," repeating it several times and then
added, "Whoever amongst you has to praise his brother should say, 'I
think that he is so and so, and Allah knows exactly the truth, and I
do not confirm anybody's good conduct before Allah, but I think him so
and so,' if he really knows what he says about him."

Allah's Apostle called me to present myself in front of him or the eve
of the battle of Uhud, while I was fourteen years of age at that time,
and he did not allow me to take part in that battle, but he called me
in front of him on the eve of the battle of the Trench when I was
fifteen years old, and he allowed me (to join the battle)." Nafi'
said, "I went to 'Umar bin 'Abdul Aziz who was Caliph at that time and
related the above narration to him, He said, "This age (fifteen) is
the limit between childhood and manhood," and wrote to his governors
to give salaries to those who reached the age of fifteen.

Allah's Apostle said, "If somebody takes a false oath in order to get
the property of a Muslim (unjustly) by that oath, then Allah will be
angry with him when he will meet Him." Al-Ash'ath informed me, "By
Allah! This was said regarding me. There was a dispute about a piece
of land between me and a man from the Jews who denied my right. I took
him to the Prophet. Allah's Apostle asked me, 'Do you have an
evidence?' I replied in the negative. He said to the Jew, 'Take an
oath.' I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! He will surely take an oath and
take my property unjustly." So, Allah revealed: "Verily! Those who
purchase a little gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths
. . . " (3.77)

Abdullah (bin Mas'ud) said, "Whoever takes a (false) oath in order to
grab some property (unjustly), Allah will be angry with him when he
will meet Him. Allah confirmed that through His Divine Revelation:
"Verily! Those who purchase a little gain at the cost of Allah's
covenant and their oaths . . . they will have a painful punishment."
(3.77)

Al-Ash'ath bin Qais came to us and asked, 'What is Abu Abdur-Rahman
(i.e. 'Abdullah) telling you? 'We told him what he was narrating to
us. He said, 'He was telling the truth; this Divine Verse was revealed
in connection with me. There was a dispute between me and another man
about something and the case was filed before Allah's Apostle who
said, 'Produce your two witnesses or else the defendant is to take an
oath.' I said, The defendant will surely take a (false) oath caring
for nothing.' The Prophet said, 'Whoever takes a false oath in order
to grab (other's) property, then Allah will be angry with him when he
will meet Him.' Then Allah revealed its confirmation. Al-Ashath then
recited the above Divine Verse." (3.77)

Hilal bin Umaiya accused his wife before the Prophet of committing
illegal sexual intercourse with Sharik bin Sahma.' The Prophet said,
"Produce a proof, or else you would get the legal punishment (by being
lashed) on your back." Hilal said, "O Allah's Apostle! If anyone of us
saw another man over his wife, would he go to search for a proof." The
Prophet went on saying, "Produce a proof or else you would get the
legal punishment (by being lashed) on your back." The Prophet then
mentioned the narration of Lian (as in the Holy Book). (Surat-al-Nur:
24)

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "There are three persons
whom Allah will neither talk to nor look at, nor purify from (the
sins), and they will have a painful punishment. (They are):

(1) A man possessed superfluous water on a way and he withheld it from
the travelers.

(2) a man who gives a pledge of allegiance to a Muslim ruler and gives
it only for worldly gains. If the ruler gives him what he wants, he
remains obedient to It, otherwise he does not abide by it, and

(3) a man bargains with another man after the Asr prayer and the
latter takes a false oath in the Name of Allah) claiming that he has
been offered so much for the thing and the former (believes him and)
buys it."

A man displayed some goods in the market and took a false oath that he
had been offered so much for them though he was not offered that
amount Then the following Divine Verse was revealed:-- "Verily! Those
who purchase a little gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their
oaths . . . Will get painful punishment." (3.77) Ibn Abu Aufa added,
"Such person as described above is a treacherous Riba-eater (i.e.
eater of usury).

The Prophet said, "Whoever takes a false oath in order to grab another
man's (or his brother's) property, then Allah will be angry with him
when he will meet him." Then Allah confirmed this by revealing the
Divine Verse: "Verily! Those who purchase a little gain at the cost of
Allah's Covenant and their oaths . . . Will get painful punishment."
(3.77) Al-Ash'ath met me and asked, "What did 'Abdullah tell you
today?" I said, "So and so." He said, "The Verse was revealed
regarding my case."

A man came to Allah's Apostle asking him about Islam, Allah's Apostle
said, "You have to offer five compulsory prayers in a day and a night
(24 hours)." The man asked, "Is there any more compulsory prayers for
me?" Allah's Apostle said, "No, unless you like to offer Nawafil (i.e.
optional prayers)." Allah's Apostle then added, "You have to observe
fasts during the month of Ramadan." The man said, "Am I to fast any
other days?' Allah's Apostle said, "No, unless you wish to observe the
optional fast voluntarily." Then Allah's Apostle told him about the
compulsory Zakat. The man asked, "Do I have to give anything besides?"
Allah's Apostle said, "No, unless you wish to give in charity
voluntarily." So, the man departed saying, "By Allah I will neither do
more nor less than that." Allah's Apostle said, "If he has said the
truth he will be successful."

Once Allah's Apostle said, "You people present your cases to me and
some of you may be more eloquent and persuasive in presenting their
argument. So, if I give some one's right to another (wrongly) because
of the latter's (tricky) presentation of the case, I am really giving
him a piece of fire; so he should not take it."

Abu Sufyan told me that Heraclius said to him, "When I enquired you
what he (i.e. Muhammad) ordered you, you replied that he ordered you
to establish the prayer, to speak the truth, to be chaste, to keep
promises and to pay back trusts." Then Heraclius added, "These are
really the qualities of a prophet."

Jabir bin Abdullah said, "When the Prophet died, Abu Bakr received
some property from Al-Ala bin Al-Hadrami. Abu Bakr said to the people,
"Whoever has a money claim on the Prophet, or was promised something
by him, should come to us (so that we may pay him his right)." Jabir
added, "I said (to Abu Bakr), Allah's Apostle promised me that he
would give me this much, and this much, and this much (spreading his
hands three times)." Jabir added, "Abu Bakr counted for me and handed
me five-hundred (gold pieces), and then five-hundred, and then
five-hundred."

A Jew from Hira asked me which one of the two periods Musa (i.e.
Prophet Moses) completed. I said, "I don't know, (but wait) till I see
the most learned 'Arab and enquire him about it." So, I went to Ibn
'Abbas and asked him. He replied, "Moses completed the longer and
better period." Ibn 'Abbas added, "No doubt, an apostle of Allah
always does what he says."

Ibn Abbas said, "O Muslims? How do you ask the people of the
Scriptures, though your Book (i.e. the Quran) which was revealed to
His Prophet is the most recent information from Allah and you recite
it, the Book that has not been distorted? Allah has revealed to you
that the people of the scriptures have changed with their own hands
what was revealed to them and they have said (as regards their changed
Scriptures): This is from Allah, in order to get some worldly benefit
thereby." Ibn Abbas added: "Isn't the knowledge revealed to you
sufficient to prevent you from asking them? By Allah I have never seen
any one of them asking (Muslims) about what has been revealed to
you."

The Prophet said, "The example of the person abiding by Allah's orders
and limits (or the one who abides by the limits and regulations
prescribed by Allah) in comparison to the one who do wrong and violate
Allah's limits and orders is like the example of people drawing lots
for seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part while
the others in the lower part ; those in the, lower part have to pass
by those in the upper one to get water, and that troubled the latter.
One of them (i.e. the people in the lower part) took an axe and
started making a hole in the bottom of the boat. The people of the
upper part came and asked him, (saying), 'What is wrong with you?' He
replied, "You have been troubled much by my (coming up to you), and I
have to get water.' Now if they prevent him from doing that they will
save him and themselves, but if they leave him (to do what he wants),
they will destroy him and themselves."

That when the Ansar drew lots as to which of the emigrants should
dwell with which of the Ansar, the name of Uthman bin Mazun came out
(to be in their lot). Um Al-Ala further said, "Uthman stayed with us,
and we nursed him when he got sick, but he died. We shrouded him in
his clothes, and Allah's Apostle came to our house and I said,
(addressing the dead 'Uthman), 'O Abu As-Sa'ib! May Allah be merciful
to you. I testify that Allah has blessed you.' The Prophet said to me,
"How do you know that Allah has blessed him?" I replied, 'I do not
know O Allah's Apostle! May my parents be sacrificed for you.' Allah's
Apostle said, 'As regards Uthman, by Allah he has died and I really
wish him every good, yet, by Allah, although I am Allah's Apostle, I
do not know what will be done to him.' Um Al-Ala added, 'By Allah I
shall never attest the piety of anybody after him. And what Allah's
Apostles said made me sad." Um Al-Ala further said, "Once I slept and
saw in a dream, a flowing stream for Uthman. So I went to Allah's
Apostle and told him about it, he said, 'That is (the symbol of) his
deeds."

Whenever Allah's Apostle intended to go on a journey, he used to draw
lots among his wives and would take with him the one on whom the lot
fell. He also used to fix for everyone of his wives a day and a night,
but Sauda bint Zam'a gave her day and night to 'Aisha, the wife of the
Prophet intending thereby to please Allah's Apostle.

Allah's Apostle said, "If the people knew what is the reward of making
the call (for the prayer) and (of being in) the first row (in the
prayer), and if they found no other way to get this privilege except
by casting lots, they would certainly cast lots for it. If they knew
the reward of the noon prayer, they would race for it, and if they
knew the reward of the morning (i.e. Fajr) and Isha prayers, they
would present themselves for the prayer even if they had to crawl to
reach there.